Risks Anyone?

Any crazies out there, looking for risk? Risk avoidance is an international mantra that seems to be part of our genetic structure. However, most of the time, risk and success are the same distance and if you can't travel to risk, you sure can't get to success. Most of us have at least one memory of when we jumped a bit ahead of the crowd, eased out of our comfort zone and, with terminal dry mouth, took a bit of a punt. The risk was not physical. It was just that we might fail or look silly or be noticed! Wow....big risk. Risks present themselves each day if not each moment. A little push each time is just what you need. The results can be surprising. Here is some help:

Step 1

Think success. Most of the time, you find yourself thinking of the things that can go awry. While this is important as you anticipate what you have to do to avoid icebergs, sometimes you just freeze. Assessing downside becomes an obsession and you do sweet diddley. Safe, but, is that all there is?

Step 2

Discuss risks with your colleagues. Sometimes, risks may be too much for you when you lack the experience. However, as you discuss these areas you are not comfortable with, some colleagues may have been there before already and may be able to share with you strategies they have used to make a success of the areas that for you are seriously new concerns.

Step 3

Learn from others. Educate yourself about people and their experience sin handling situations you are facing which present high risks for you. Learn from their experience. If you can get hold of them, discuss these with them and ask how they would handle these when put in the same situation. Read Richard Branson's Screw it. Just Do It and learn about risk taking.

Step 4

Identify the support you need. Analyze the situation and identify the resources that will be needed to take on these risks. Beyond resources, your team will need to feel that there will be no "it's all your fault" only the repeated challenges to keep trying.

Step 5

Clarify accountabilities. Make sure that each one understands the role they have to play and the outputs and outcomes they are responsible for. As well, establish the relationships of these accountabilities to the whole undertaking so each one understands how they are to support the others. A delay in one output may create bigger risks or failure.

Step 6

Establish commitment. Lots of times, people don't take risk because they are afraid. But when they put their will into accomplishing something, chances are they will be able to do it

As you keep taking risks and pushing your self, you build up your inner resources to take on challenges and you become more capable of handling bigger responsibilities. Success awards you greater confidence. You can take on the world. The only difference between a rut and the grave is the depth!